To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in (a) Romsey, (b) Southampton and (c) Hampshire are on waiting lists for social housing; and how many units of social housing have been built in (i) Romsey, (ii) Southampton and (iii) Hampshire since 1997. (151038)

The constituency of Romsey covers most of Test Valley district council but also includes a small part of Eastleigh district council and Southampton city council. Information is not collected at the constituency level, only at local authority level and includes households rather than people.

The number of households on the waiting list for social housing in (a) local authorities covering the Romsey area (Test Valley, Eastleigh and Southampton) (b) Southampton and (c) Hampshire, as at 1 April each year since 1997, are presented in table 1.

These figures are also published on the Communities and Local Government website in table 600. The link for this table is given as follows:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/embedded_object.asp?id=1163853

Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.

The numbers of social rent homes provided by local authorities and registered social landlords in (a) local authorities covering the Romsey area (Test Valley, Eastleigh and Southampton) (b) Southampton and (c) Hampshire, since 1997 are presented in table 2 as follows. Homes are provided through new build as well as acquisitions. Figures are as reported by local authorities and the Housing Corporation.